Fire-escape.



No. 662,243. PatentadNov. 20; I900.

0. NELSON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Max-. 13, 1900.) (No Mo el.) 2 Shee.ts- Sheet -I.

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22 Inventor No. 662,243. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

0. NELSON.

FIREESCAPE.

(Application filed Max-L 13, 1900.! (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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OLOF NELSON, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 662,243, datedNovember 20, 1900- Application filed March 13, 1900. Serial No. 8,532.LNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLOF NELSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Naugatuck, county of New Haven, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention comprises a simple and effective fire-escape apparatusarranged in a cabinet-case that may be readily placed in front of awindow and parts of the apparatus extended outward through the windowfor use in an emergency,as hereinafter described,reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is partly a side elevationand partly a sectional elevation of the apparatus as adjusted for usethrough an open window. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with itsparts adjusted as in Fig. 1, the window being omitted. Fig. 3 is anelevation ofthat side of the cabinet that is presented to the window inuse with the arms that reach out of the window set up as for use andtheir supporting-props. Fig. 4is an elevation of the same side of thecabinet closed up, as when not in use. Fig. 5 is an elevation of theinclosing wall of said side. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a fasteningdevice for securing said wall at the top. Fig. 7 is a detail in sectionon line 2 2, Fig. 2.

In any suitable cabinet-case, as a, standing a little higher than thewindow-sill Z) and about as Wide as the window and which may be the bodyof a writing-desk, dressing-case. or other article of furniture andbeing provided with a hinged or other readily-opening cover 0 and also areadily-removable side wall d, I arrange near the top and as distantfrom the removable wall 01 as may be a drum e on pivots, so as to rotatefreely, said drum being preferably divided into a middle section f andtwo sections 9 intermediate of said middle section and the ends fordifferent ropes, and at each end said drum is provided with afriction-disk h, whereon a friction-band 2', preferably of steel, isapplied, said band being attached at one end to a yokej, supported on ashaft is, arranged parallel with the drum 8 in suitable bearings, so asto turn slightly, and having hubs fast on it, to which hubs the otherends of the friction-bands are attached, respectively. To one of thesehubs a leverarm Z is applied, which connects by a stud-pin m with arock-lever n by a slot 0 in said rocklever. The rock-lever n is pivotedon a shaft p, parallel with shaft 70 and the drum, but located near theopening side of the cabinet. From the other end of this rock-lever abrakecontrol ling rope q passes over pulleys s to hang down in reach ofthe user to regulate the descent by means of the brakes. On anothershaftt two armsu are pivoted, said shaft being located close to theopening side of the cabinet near the top and parallel with the drum andthe other shafts. The length of these arms is such that when extended,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they will when the case stands close to thewindow, as in Fig. 1, reach out of the window and beyond the wallsufficiently to suspend a basket clear of the wall for being lowered andraised, and the height of the cabinet-case is such that the armswillswing down within it and be inclosed by the wall 01 when theapparatus is not in use. To support these arms when adjusted for use,the upper or inner ends areextended beyond the pivot-shaft 25, so thattheir extremities'v reach over and a little beyond shaft 19 when thearms are set up for use, and on said shaftp hooks to are arranged toslide forward and hook over the upper sides of said extremities whensaid arms rise to the working position. These hooks are parts ofspring-props 00, at tached to the end walls of the cabinet and havingshoulders y, which at the same time spring under the arms to, where theyare pivoted on shaft '6 and sustain much of the down thrust on saidshaft, while the hooks sustain the upthrusts on the extremities of thearms. The hooks are laterally ofiset from the upper ends of the props toreach the extremities of the arms, as shown at 2, Fig. 1, and the OE-set points ,2 have the shaft fitted through them to reinforce theresisting power of the hooks against the upthrusts on the hooks. Theshaft 25 is fitted through the upper ends of the props, and between saidprops and the sides of the cabinet coiled springs 2 are applied to theshaft to maintain the engagement of the hooks w and shoulders y with thearms for supporting them in the working position. The props a; are madeof spring-plates, and

they normally tend to spring outward by their own elasticity. Thesidewalls of the cabinet are tied to prevent spreading apart by nuts 3on shaft 1), said nuts being preferably concealed in the substance ofthe walls, as indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 2.

The arms u carry pulleys 4 at their outer ends, and a basket 5 issuspended by ropes 6, running from the drum 6 over said pulleys andwhich descends by the weight of the user, who enters the basket over theplate 7, applied to arms a and serving as a plat-form, alfording safeaccess to the basket from the window. The basket is to some extentcounterbalanced by a weight 8, suspended by a rope 9 from themiddlesectionfof thedrum, whereon it is wound oppositely to the windings ofthe ropes 6, so as to wind up when they unwind; but the control of thedescent of the basket is to be mainly effected by the,

brakes through the instru mentality of the rope q.

The essential purpose of the weighted rope 9 is to raise the basket forthe relief of others when more are to be rescued than may beaccommodated at once.

The drum e isconnected to thebrake-disks h by ratchet devices 10, whichallow the drum to run backward free of the disks to avoid the resistanceof the brakes when returning the basket. The brake-disks are grooved onthe face to retain the brake-bands, and the bands are adj ustablyconnected to the yoke j at 11 to regulate their tension.

When not in use, the hooks w and props to y are released from the armsa, and the arms are swung down within the cabinet, with the basket andropes packed in back of the arms, and the cabinet is closed by applyingthe side wall d, which has studs 12 of the lower edge that areentered incorresponding holes in the bottom, and the upper edge is fastened by abutton 13 on a bar 17, secured by staples 14 in sockets 15, attached tothe edges of side walls 16 of the cabinet, all in such contrivances thatthecabine't may be-opened quickly in time of need by lifting up bar 17and lifting out wall d.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In afire-esca-pe the combinationofaportable inclosing case having the opening top and removable side,rotating drum, basketling rope suspended from the rock-lever.

2. In a fire-escape the combination of a portable inclosing case havingthe opening top and removable side, rotating drum, basketsuspendingropes on the drum, counterbalancing weighted rope wound on the drumreversely to the basket-suspending ropes, folding and outreachingbasket-rope carrying arms pivoted in the case at the open side,spring-actuated hooks and props for holding the arms in the outreaching'position, friction disks connected with the drum with ratchet devicespermitting the upwinding of the basket-ropes independently of thedisks,brake-bands on the friction-disks, rock-shaft and rock-lever connectedwith the brakebands and the brake-controlling rope suspended from therock-lever.

3. The combination with the portable inclosing case, rotating drum,basket-suspending rope and folding arms, of the spring-actuated props,having the shoulders to lodge under the arms at their pivots, and thehooks to engage over the rear extremities of the arms.

4. The combination with the portable inclosing case, rotating drum,basket-suspending rope and folding arms, of the spring-actuated propshaving the shoulders to lodge under the arms at theirpivots, and thehooks to engage over the inner extremities of the arms, said propsperforated and having the arm pivot-shaft and the rock-shaft fittedthrough said perforations.

Signed by me at Naugatuck, Connecticut, this 21st day of December, 1899.

OLOF NELSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM P. J KEILTY, MICHAEL B. ZEIDY.

